Federal prosecutors are refuting the contention by defense attorneys that Jesse Jackson Jr. should spend less time in prison because a lengthy sentence would cause his fragile mental health to deteriorate.

There is interest in Champaign County about transforming at least part of Rantoul’s former Chanute Air Force Base into a facility where locally grown food can be processed and distributed to area businesses.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for more time to decide whether to appeal a lower court's order saying citizens should be allowed to publicly carry concealed guns.

Landing a job at a summer camp or at an amusement park is a rite of passage for many young Americans. Those jobs also appeal to foreigners participating in a cultural exchange using J-1 visas. But with U.S. youth unemployment at 25 percent, Congress is now taking a close look at the J-1 visa exchange program.